HEFEI — More than 960,000 households have been included in a photovoltaic power generation project, according to a national photovoltaic poverty relief working conference held in East China’s Anhui province on Aug 1.

By the end of 2017, photovoltaic power stations had been built in 940 counties in 25 provinces, directly benefiting 965000 poverty-stricken households, said Qi Chengyuan, deputy director of the National Energy Administration.

The photovoltaic power generation project helps raise incomes by allowing families to “sell” solar power to the government.

China has lifted more than 60 million people out of poverty in the past five years, with the poverty rate dropping from 10.2 percent to less than 4 percent amid its push to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020. By that time, absolute poverty will be eliminated.